Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-10

n
of boy, the 15-year-od son Of locomo-
tive engineer, who had often ridden with
his father and knew the engine poorly
well Indeed the engineer had often let
the boy drive on long stretch of straight
track
One night he left Dave in charge of the
engine on a siding, while he went to sup
per as usual There came up a furious
wind and, after a little, some cars shot by
without any engine The wind had started
them. Boy, think quick Down grade !
| The lightning express is to come that way
Nobody near. No telegraph wire. The
trains are headed together. There is less
than an hour to catch those runaway cars
and pull them out of the way. No time
for hesitation He springs to the lever,
picks up speed and tears away with grade
and wind and steam like whizzing arrow.
They are miles ahead. The rushing min
utes are full Of sudden comprehension. He
almost sees through the dark, tempestuous
night What set him flying toward this
plunge was thought of the lightning ex-
press. New danger takes hold Of him
What if he is just too late The runaway
train is in sight OFF steam No, on
again Let the story teller tell the rest.
He must slow up, but do it so nicely that,
when he does come up with them, there
shall be the least possible shock for here
is the hardest part of the business. He has
nobody to help him couple" He must be.
for the nonce, both engineer and switch
man. He had not thought what formula
BILE lob this was until it stared him in the
face.
On he flew revolving the situation in his
head and adjusting his engine with the
incest care until he was upon the very heels
Of the runaway then, with many misgiv-
ings. slipped out of the engine house and
crawled along the side of the locomotive.
and down on the Cow catcher"
Here, Selling the long coupler in one
hand and holding on with the other he
stood watching with GREATNESS interest the
approaching collision. The suspense was
agonizing The situation was perilous. A
| gust of wind might sweep him from his
place. he might be shaken off or crushed
He was almost panic-stricken. A dozen
times he was at the point of turning back
/ To his startled ears the air was full of nm
| cannv sounds-the sweep of another tor
nado, the rush of the Lightning" lust
/ ahead. But he had in him the stuff which
/ heroes are made of. The hero. remember.
| is not he who is insensible to danger. but
! rather he who feels and realizes. but vet
overcomes it.
! The Meteor" drew nearer and nearer
the flying train. Dave had used excellent
/ Judgment in regulating its speed; for at
| length it came up with the rear car with
scarcely shock. so that Dave could reach
over and drop in the pin.
Then clamberine back into the engine
house with trembling eagerness he seized
the throttle" To his amazement the train
did not stop. Instead of the "Meteor's"
stopping the runaway. the runaway drag
ged the Meteor" along in its headlonp,
flight. Dave was horror-struck. He had
thought the train would stop at once. He
had not calculated what a tremendous i'm
petus all those heavy cars had acquired
Now. then. the tussle The train began
TO slow up. 1t came to stands Then
the backward pull Slowly they got under
wav but the wind and upgrade were
against them.
Dave began to get anxious. 1.-THE Light
ming" must be due by this time. He kept a
sharp lookout behind and whistled like
mad around the curves. At length he en-